Hope's Closet brings promise to Santa Cruz County residents

Leslie Maunu, the services manager for Hope's Closet, folds and sorts donated clothes. Hope's Closet is a clothing bank that has been providing clothing, shoes, toys and other essentials to families and children in the Monterey Bay area for about six years. (Emma Brokaw -- Santa Cruz Sentinel)

It also accepts clothing and shoes for teenagers and maternity wear. Hope's Closet started when Henderson was getting more donations than she could use in her retail children's store Jelli Beanz.

Some of the donations weren't up to her standards so she told the people who had donated them that they could come pick up what she didn't want. When the amount of donations grew too large, Henderson decided to start Hope's Closet.

The name "Hope's Closet" came from wanting to give hope to people in need who can't afford the necessities for their children.

Leslie Maunu is the operations manager of Hope's Closet and has also been volunteering for five years.

Before finding out about Hope's Closet, Maunu was a foster parent for 19 years and said that had a huge influence on her wanting to become part of the organization. "I really like it when foster parents come up," Maunu said. She said she feels a connection to foster parents.

Maunu helps sort through the donated clothing and fill the orders people call in or she goes off the forms they fill out. "Seventy-five percent of what comes in is used at Hope's Closet," Maunu said.

When the bags of clothing, called "Bundles of Hope," are ready, they are left on the stairs outside Jelli Beanz and families can come pick them up at no cost. Each bag contains different supplies based on the child's age. The bundles typically contain clothes, blankets, a jacket and a toy for newborns to age 2. The bundles for toddlers typically contain clothes, a jacket, books and a toy.

For those who are not able to pick up their bundles there are partner organizations that help with the distribution including Early Head Start, the Pregnancy Resource Center and Walnut Avenue Women's Center.

The organizations that partner with Hope's Closet pick up the bundles and distribute them to the families.

Hope's Closet continues to look for new volunteers since it hopes to open four or five days a week instead of the three days a week it is now.

There will be a rummage sale from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday at the Mid-County Senior Center Parking Lot, 829 Bay Ave., Capitola.

Hope's Closet will accept donations Saturday to be sold at the rummage sale the next day. Hope's Closet is hoping to receive: clothing for all ages in good condition, books, toys and games, kitchen and other household items, linens, electronics, furniture, luggage, purses, bags, baby and toddler gear, jewelry and CDs, DVDs, VHS tapes.